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Topic: Special Snowflake Stories (Read 6170338 times)

It's said U S (AS IN US OF A) ian. in the UK I have heard it and it's always said with affection. The reason we don't do UKian is we have a short version of our nationality already. Brit.

I use it with my step mother in law (from the USA) and she has never shown an indication it's inappropriate but then again it's obvious from context it's an affectionate term.

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“For too long, we've assumed that there is a single template for human nature, which is why we diagnose most deviations as disorders. But the reality is that there are many different kinds of minds. And that's a very good thing.” - Jonah Lehrer

Thanks for the info, I'm American and haven't heard that term. Honestly, it seems dismissive to call a group of people something they don't call themselves.

I've heard and seen plenty of people from the US use the term--I have.

Then you're literally the first I'm aware of. Seriously. And how do you even say it? "ooh-sians"? "Ewe-Ess-ians"? "Uhs-ians"? Or is it one of those things that only appears in text? And why do I never see "UKians"? Or "SAians" for South Africans? Given that, after all, there's more than just South Africa in south Africa.

It just boggles, is all.

U.S.-ians.

Not that hard or boggling.I'm boggled that it's boggling.

May not have widespread usage, but it's hardly obscure.

This is the only place I've ever seen it... and another poster said this is the first *time* they've seen it. That counts as obscure to me. And I've literally never heard it spoken before. *That* would have stuck out in my mind for sure.

I nominate Carnival Cruise's CEO Micky Arison. He was asked by Sen. Jay Rockefeller is the company intended to reimburse the Navy and Coast Guard the US $4.2 million expended during rescue operations on various cruises, notably the Triumph "Poop" Cruise and the Splendor incident.

He cited the "Maritime Tradition" of rescuing a stranded vessel as his reason for declining to pay any of the costs for the rescue.

Except it seems he forgets the crew of the Star Princess declined to stop for a similar "vessel in distress" situation and not only did the passengers on the cruiseship notify the crew, the crew acknowledged they saw the fishing boat, but didn't stop. There are even photos of the three crewmen waving.

I think you know where this is going: Two men died. The other is suing, of course.

So, lucky for him, it's just a "tradition" and not a "rule".

I will never set foot on one of his ships.

It is not just a tradition, it is actualy a rule. It is simple maritime law that you hvae to respond if you receive any kind of distress call.

But that's the point. His ship didn't respond to a distress singal and people died. Now he wants to get out of paying for his rescues. I don't actually see a problem with the US Navy and Coast Guard asking for compensation from a huge corporation when they don't fly US flags.

Thanks for the info, I'm American and haven't heard that term. Honestly, it seems dismissive to call a group of people something they don't call themselves.

I've heard and seen plenty of people from the US use the term--I have.

USian here . I've seen and heard and used it. I'm really not sure why it is being seen as dismissive or offensive in any way?

I've seen USian online, by Americans as well as others. Haven't every heard it spoken, so I always assumed that it was more of a written shorthand though.

I'm not sure that it's really dismissive though. I mean the English names for many countries are often not the names the countries actually use to refer to themselves in their own languages. India and Japan are two examples that come to mind. But I don't think anyone has ever taken offence to an English speaker using the English names of those countries.

And while it's true that Nippon isn't actually named Japan, as far as I know no one has yet invented a Japanese word that translates to "Japan", when their word for "Nippon" works just fine. American is a word in English... it just seems odd to me (and to M, who had never heard the term before 11:03 AM, when I mentioned it...), is all.

And while it's true that Nippon isn't actually named Japan, as far as I know no one has yet invented a Japanese word that translates to "Japan", when their word for "Nippon" works just fine. American is a word in English... it just seems odd to me (and to M, who had never heard the term before 11:03 AM, when I mentioned it...), is all.

I've never heard it before and I've been on the internet a long time. I don't think it's dismissive but I don't have to like being called that. I am an American.

I did say it was dismissive, largely because it feels strange that people are referring to a group by a name that does seem a little obscure - I know some a few people have said they've heard/seen it but more have said they aren't familiar with it - and that doesn't seem to be used by the people who have been given that name. I just seems odd, sorry to derail the thread.

And while it's true that Nippon isn't actually named Japan, as far as I know no one has yet invented a Japanese word that translates to "Japan", when their word for "Nippon" works just fine. American is a word in English... it just seems odd to me (and to M, who had never heard the term before 11:03 AM, when I mentioned it...), is all.

I've never heard it before and I've been on the internet a long time. I don't think it's dismissive but I don't have to like being called that. I am an American.

And I'm that sub-species of American known as "Texan"......for at three generations on Dad's side of the family before you get to the immigrants and about three or four on Mom's side of the family before you get to people who came to Texas after the War Between The States.....

I hang out on a travel forum. "USAnian" (not USian) is commonly used. It is not considered offensive at all, just rather jocular. Wikipedia even has USAnian in their dictionary. I don't think I've ever heard it spoken, however.

And, yes, there are people who are offended when "American" is used to mean someone from the United States.

Here's the thing, though. I've *never* heard "American" used to refer to anyone *but* someone from the United States. North American, yes. South American, certainly. But never just "American". Kind of like how Israel is on the continent of Asia, but many people would be real confused if someone from Tel Aviv was referred to as an Asian.